Improvement in steering apparatus



2S1eets-Sheet 1.

' EMANUEL S. DREW.

Improved Steering Apparatus.

Patented August 15, 1871..

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Patented August 15, 187|.

Improved Steering Apparatus FFICE.

EMANUEL S. DREW, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEERING APPARATUS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,176, dated August15, 1871 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMANUEL S. Dnnw, of New Orleans, in the parish ofOrleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Steering' Apparatus, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing and the letters oi' reference marked thereon making part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l is a top plan view. Fig. 2 is a sideView, parts being removed. Fig. 3 is areversed rear view, parts beingremoved. Fig. .Lis a rear view of the lower section ofthe lever abovethe ratchetsegment, the friction-roller being attached. Fig. 5 is a sideview of the spring-pawl or dog with friction-roller attached. Thedrawing is made of a full-size scale.

rlhe object ci' my invention is to provide a steering apparatus whichshall be simple in its mechanism, durable and economieal in itsconstruction, and effective and reliable in its operation, and which canreadily be applied to all vessels requiring a steering apparatus. Thenature oi' my invention consists in connecting the tillerropes to a drumand tiller-disk of the same diameter, and in attaching to the drinn anupright lever and the tiller-plate to the rudder-post in such manner asto secure the counter-leverage which will insure a perfect uniformity ofaction. The tiller-disk travels through the same are of a circle in eachof its movements that the drum does. Of course the rudder-post, which isits axle, is revolved precisely in the same degree that the drum-shaftis.

The great advantages of this combination are found: First, in thesubstitution of a simple drum and upright lever for the expensive andcumbersome steering-wheel and wiudlass now universally used. In thussimplifying and rendering entirely practical in my apparatus the immensepower of the lever to the steering of vessels, I guarantee to the pilotthe most positive mastery oi' the rudder, enabling him at any instant,and with a great saving of time and especially of labor, to instantlyship this rudder to any angle, and there hold it, without exertion onhis part, so long as he may desire. This I accomplish through aratchet-segment and springpawl or dog, the latter being attached to thelever, and can be arranged to be operated either bythe hand or foot. Thetiller-ropes are attached to a drum and tiller-disk of the samediameterand run in the peripheries of each in opposite directions. Theseropes being so connected as t0 secure their uniform movement, each ropeis wound on the one exactly in the same degree as it is unwound from theother. rIhis saves all lost motion in the operation of the apparatus, asthe tiller-ropes are never slack, but under all circumstances perfectlytaut, and consequently al ways in position to exert such a direct drafton the disk as to insure the instantaneous movement of the rudder. Thetaking up of the slack incident to the necessary stretch and wear of theropes is provided for through two small ratchet windlasses to each ofwhich one of the ropes is attached. These have their bearings in thcfaces of the drum, their ratchet and retaining-pawl being on the outsideoi' the same and in such position as to be readily ope ated so as totighten the ropes. Another great advantage of my improvement is this,and which is one of primary importance: when the apparatus is to beattached to vessels designed to navigate the waters of narrow orirregular rivers, the essential'i'eatures of my combination are soconnected and are so coactive in their operation that, the movement ofone necessarily iinpelling all, a reliable and effectivecounter-leverage is secured, which permits ofthe rudder yielding as itis forced against any obstruction, and which avoids all danger of itsbeing broken or permanently injured through such contact; and this selfacting movement on the part of the rudder is accomplished without in anymanner disarranging the mechanism, and is due entirely, iirst, to thespring gearing by which the lever is held allowing of an automatic play,and the power which the rudder acting on its disk has to impart areciprocal or return movement on the drum and upright lever.

The construction and operation of my invention are as follows:

In the drawing is illustrated a section of a vessel with my improvedapparatus attached, thediff'erent features of the mechanism and theirrelative positions being distinctly shown. A is the lower or bottomdeck; A1, the upper or second; and A2, the third; or in vessels whichare only double-decked A2 represents the door of the pilot-house. B Bare two frames or stand ards constructed of metal or other suitablematerial, and are iirmly bolted or otherwise attached to the upper deckA1 immediately under the pilot-house, or in such relative positionthereto as to give the steerman free access to and control of theupright lever D. The upper face of the standard-trame B projects abovethat of B', and is provided with a ratchet-segment, b, as clearly shownin Figs. 2 and 3. C is a drum, and may be constructed of any suitablematerial. Within the nave of this drum C is permanently attached theaxle-shaft c. This shaft cis secured between the standards B B', andworks in suitable journals b b secured thereon. These journalboxes maybe ofthe ordinary construction, or, ifdesired, they may be furnishedwith rollers or other anti-friction face-bearin gs. l C are two annulargrooves which are cut in and encircle the periphery ofthe drum (l. Inthese annular grooves C C rest and travel the tiller-ropes or chains FF, the grooves acting as guide suriace-bearings for the same. D is anupri ght l ever and is firmly keyed to the axle-shaft c of the drum C,and at such relative position thereon as to work between the drum andthe standard B, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. In a suitable socket-bearingon the lever D, by means lof a fulcrum-pin, d, is pivoted the hand-leverD1.

E is an upright L-shaped pawl-lever or dog with a heavy horizontal head,and is secured so as to work on the face of the lever D by means of asleeve or clasp-bearing, El. E2 is a connectingrod, and is pivoted, byfulcrum-pins d! c, to the levers D1 E. D2 is a spring attached to therear face of the lever D1, its free end bearing against the lever D.This spring is so secured and arranged that its natural tension shallalways be exerted in securing a proper bite or" the pawl-lever E in theteeth of the ratchet-segment b. The form of the lever D1 and the pawl Eand its various appliances, as well as its attachment to the lever D, isdistinctly shown in Fig. 3 5 but I desire it understood that there isnothing arbitrary about the form or arrangement of the dog or pawl orits operating mechanism, as any ordinary style of retaining-pawl wouldaccomplish :the same result, and, instead of being freed from itsbite-on the ratchet-segment b through a hand-lever, D, an attachmentmight readilybe applied by which it could be operated by the foot. Thehead of thepawl or dog maybe recessed so as to receive and secure ananti-friction roller, e', as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Ifpreferred this springlever and pawl might be entirely dispensed with,and a lever, D, composed of a spring-rod, might be used which would meshand lock in the ratchetrack through its own elasticity, in which case,however, the rack would have to be at the side of the curved face of thestandard B instead of on its upper face, as shown. F F are thetiller-ropes or chains, and are such as are now universally used. Theseropes are passed through the drum C, and are secured to the axles of theratchets F F. ff are spring-retaining pawls, and are arranged at suchposition as to act on the ratchets F/ F. G G are four swivel-pulleys, and are secured to the deck A, as shown, two being immediately under andon a vertical line with the drum C, and the other two at the stem of thevessel, as clearly shown in Fig. l. H is the tiller-plate, and isprovided with two grooves or recesses, 7a 7L, in which rest and travelthe chains or cords F F precisely as they do on the drum C. Thetiller-plate or disk H is ot' segmental form and must be of exactly thesame diameter as is the drum G, so that when the ropes F F are attachedto the drum C and the tiller-plate H they will operate without creatingslack, and which is due to the fact that, as the ropes are unwound fromthe drum, they are wound on the disk, and vice versa. H is the nave ofthe tiller-plate, and is keyed to the rudder-head or post L in the usualmanner. In Fig. 3 there is shown in dotted lines a half wheel, M, whichon river steamers may be substituted for the lever. The only advantageof such substitution would be that the half wheel would furnish thesteersman increased purchase.

The operation is as follows: The tiller-ropes or chains F F are attachedto the ratchet-shafts G G and the tiller-disk II, as stated, and thendrawn perfectly taut and held by the springpawl f, and which compels theropes to travel in the grooves or channels 7L h and C C of the drum andtiller-disk. This being all arranged, we will presume the rudder to beat midship. The lever D then occupies the direct vertical position shownin Fig. 3, the pawl or dog E locking the same in position. Now, to steerthe vessel you have simply to depress the lever either toward thelarboard or starboard side of the vessel, as the case may be, which, ofcourse, revolves the drum C. This movement of the drum, as the ropes F Frun on the same in opposite directions, necessarily winds one andunwinds the other. But as these ropes are also attached to a tiller-diskof the same diameter as the drum, the tiller lets out one and takes uptheother rope precisely in the same manner 'and degree that the druindoes, and the result is that the ropes F F are never slacked by lostmotion, but always held perfectly taut. The lever being moved to thedesired point or degree-and the degrees can be indicated on theratchet-segment b-the rudder is locked in position by simply the pawl .Efalling into one of the teeth of the ratchet-rack. Throughout all themovements of the apparatus the lever controls the drum and thetiller-disk, the rudderhead or post acting on the same ascounter-levers, and which compels the rudder to respond to the slightestmovement of the lever, as I have said, without lost motion, and this,too, no matter how sudden or directly opposite the motion may be. Thisarrangement, it will be seen, obviates all necessity of using thecumbersome and heavy steering-wheel. No portion of the mechanism exceptthe lever enters the pilot-house, it working in a longitudinal slottherein, and through its 4 well-known power gives the pilot the mostpositive mastery of the rudder. The power of this lever depends on itslength and the diameter of the drum, which, in connection with the greatsaving of labor in its operation and its reliable and instantaneousmovement, secures to the apparatus the most positive advantages.

Another and most important feature of my apparatus is this: In turning,1in narrow streams, should the rudder strike the shore it will instantlyyield, and, acting on its tiller-disk through the ropes F F, areciprocal or return movement is imparted to the drum and lever, thespring-dog yielding` so as to permit this automaticmovement. This sameaction occurs when the rudder comes in contact with a heavy wave orother obstacle.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

l. The drum C and tiller-disk H of uniform diameters, and so connectedby tiller-ropes as to act substantially as described.

2. The drum (l, lever D, either with or without its spring-pawlattachment, ropes F F, tiller-plate K tially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMANUEL S. DREW.

Witnesses:

Jos. T. K. PLANT, W. A. Boss.

